Cream showdown: which works better for dark spots?
NCT ID NCT07327983
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested two creams—20% azelaic acid and 4% hydroquinone—on 146 adults with melasma, a condition causing dark patches on the face. Participants applied the cream daily for 12 weeks, and doctors tracked changes in patch size and color. The goal was to see which cream works better and if azelaic acid is a safe alternative to hydroquinone.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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146 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2025
- Finished
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Nov 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with clinically diagnosed epidermal melasma confirmed by Wood's lamp examination * Male or female participants of any age * Willingness to provide written informed consent * Ability to comply with study procedures and follow-up visits Exclusion Criteria:- Dermal or mixed-type melasma * Active cutaneous or facial skin infection * History of keloid formation * Recent use of other topical or systemic depigmenting agents * Presence of photosensitive disorders * Pregnancy or lactation * Refusal or inability to provide written informed consent
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Gujranwala Medical College Hospital
Lahore, Punjab Province, +92, Pakistan
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- A new gel aims to fade dark Spots—Will it deliver a brighter complexion?
- Can a simple pill make melasma creams work better?
- Can a two-acid cream fade stubborn melasma?
- Microneedling boosts melasma treatments: could metformin or tranexamic acid outperform standard creams?
- Can sunscreen do more than protect? study tests if it fades dark spots